2025-2026 Graduate Catalog > Colleges/Programs by College > COLLEGE OF HEALTH PROFESSIONS AND HUMAN SERVICES > Department of Occupational Therapy

Department of Occupational Therapy

Dr. Claire M. Mulry, OTD, OTR/L, CAPS, FAOTA
Department of Occupational Therapy Chairperson
College of Health Professions and Human Services
East Campus, Room 226
Kean University
Union, New Jersey 07083
email: cmulry@kean.edu

Degree Offered

• M.S. in Occupational Therapy

• O.T.D. in Occupational Therapy

Additional certification requirements: 

Students successfully completing either program will be eligible to take the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be able to identify him or herself as an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). All 50 states require an OT license to practice and you must pass the NBCOT exam to get a license. licensure in order to practice. However, state licenses are usually based on the results of the NBCOT Certification Exam.*

Program Accreditation:

The Masters in Occupational Therapy Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Correspondence should be directed to: ACOTE, c/o Accreditation Department, American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA), 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. Their phone number is (301) 652-AOTA. Website: www.acoteonline.org.

The Doctor in Occupational Therapy (OTD) Program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education (ACOTE) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). Correspondence should be directed to: ACOTE, c/o Accreditation Department, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814. Their phone number is (301) 652-6511 Website: www.acoteonline.org 

Admissions Requirements: 

In addition to the University’s admissions requirements:

• Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
• Cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0
• Official transcripts from all institutions attended
• Three letters of recommendation; one letter must be from an occupational therapist. These can be uploaded to the electronic application. Letters must be dated within two years of application.  
• Documented observation of occupational therapy services within a variety of age groups and practice areas for a minimum of 40 hours in two or more practice settings. Each applicant may choose from a diverse variety of settings, such as: hospital settings, community-based programs, skilled nursing facilities, early intervention, school-based programs, home care, outpatient programs, hand therapy sites and/or mental health sites. 
• Professional Resume/CV
• Respond to a departmental question on the application
• Departmental interview may be required
• TOEFL (for applicants whose native language is not English)
• Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee interview or admission to the program

Start terms:

The Masters in Occupational Therapy Program program starts in the Fall only.

The Occupational Therapy Doctoral Program starts in the Fall.

Please note: At the time of application, prospective students may have only three prerequisite courses outstanding/in progress and if accepted, need to be completed by June 30. However, due to the competitive applicant pool, the Admissions Committee encourages the completion of all prerequisite courses prior to application.

Graduation Requirements:

Students must complete all courses including Advanced Fieldwork Seminar I and II and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Program Description:

The Master of Science program in Occupational Therapy is a 72 credit 2-year program designed to provide entry level education in occupational therapy. Students admitted to this program will earn a Master of Science in occupational therapy in just 2 full-time years of study. A student who has earned a baccalaureate degree from Kean University or another accredited institution is welcome to apply to our program. At Kean, we understand that students have varied interests and we welcome applicants with various baccalaureate degrees. Students from diverse educational and experiential backgrounds create our unique program. The application process takes place through the Centralized Application Service for Occupational Therapy programs (OTCAS). Approximately 30 students are admitted into the program each Fall semester. Each student accepted into the program completes five full-time and two part-time semesters of required academic courses and a minimum of six months of supervised fieldwork in an approved clinical setting. Clinical fieldwork must be completed within 24 months of academic courses. Students successfully completing the program will be eligible to take the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be able to identify him or herself as an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). All states require licensure and a candidate for an OT license must show they have passed the NBCOT exam in order to practice.*

* Please note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to take the certification examination and/or attain state licensure.  

The entry level Occupational Therapy Doctorate (OTD) will train students to become licensed occupational therapists. The cohort-based curriculum consists of 90 credits that are earned over nine semesters. The OTD is designed to provide entry level education in occupational therapy for individuals who have a baccalaureate degree in another field. Each student completes 9 semesters of required academic courses including a minimum of six months of supervised full-time fieldwork in approved clinical settings and a 14-week doctoral residency experience with a capstone project. Clinical fieldwork must be completed within 24 months of academic completion.

Currently, to become an occupational therapist, the minimum educational requirement is a master's degree. The overall goal of this degree is to train generalist practitioners. However, the entry level doctoral degree trains practitioners with advanced skills in one or more of the following areas: clinical practice skills, research skills, administration, leadership, program and policy development, advocacy, education, and theory development (ACOTE, 2017). Educating and training occupational therapy practitioners with advanced skills is beneficial in the changing healthcare arena. Students successfully completing the program will be eligible to take the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification of Occupational Therapy, Inc. (NBCOT). After successful completion of this exam, the individual will be able to identify him or herself as an Occupational Therapist, Registered (OTR). All states, including New Jersey, require licensure to practice. State licenses are usually based on the successful passing of the NBCOT Certification Exam.

*Please note that a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to complete fieldwork, take the certification examination and/or attain state licensure.

Prerequisites Coursework (B or better required)

¹These courses must be taken within 5 years of application to the program.

²Must be completed at Kean University

Students may complete the required prerequisite at any accredited institution. If you intend to complete these prerequisites at Kean University, you may apply to the University as an undergraduate second-degree, non-matriculated student.